28th Annual Scientific Sessions Abstracts

Abstract

Background: Alcohol misuse or abuse among nursing students, and associated risk and protective factors are poorly understood. Nursing curricula often lacks content on substance abuse in nursing, and risky drinking and/or addictions are reported to begin prior to, or during nursing school. Professional ramifications and potential patient safety concerns exist, warranting further examination of this issue. Purpose: To explore nursing students' perceptions of factors influencing alcohol behaviors, guided by an ecological risk and protective factors perspective. The following research question guided this study: What are the behaviors and influencing factors that nursing students perceive and associate with alcohol use, misuse and abuse during their college years? Methods: Nine traditional baccalaureate nursing students from a large public university located in the Northeast were recruited to participate in this study. We used Photovoice, a Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR) method that employs photo elicitation methods to engage community members in participatory action research. Data was collected from individual photo assignments, and four focus groups to obtain the participants' thoughts and perceptions on their alcohol behaviors through self-expression and group advocacy. Data was qualitatively analyzed and categorized according to the social ecological model, guided by participatory action research principles. Results: Participants identified their top three issues as (1) stress, (2) environmental influences (lifestyle, lack of healthy habits) and (3) societal acceptance and convenience of alcohol. Participants identified the following risks for alcohol misuse: lack of addiction and alcohol education within curriculum; expectations of the nursing program that increased stress and anxiety; unhealthy habits, social isolation, individual influences; peer influence and the college experience; and ineffective and un-enforced campus policies. Protective factors included: university policies; life experiences; nursing program policies, responsibilities, peer influences and perceived reputation. Social isolation from university peers was a predominate risk factor, and not found in the literature. Conclusions/Implications: Participants suggested potential solutions to their identified issues, and began an important dialogue among nursing professionals regarding their stressors, and the potential professional ramifications. Recommendations are based on identified issues and include: increased professional substance use disorder content within nursing curricula, creation of peer mentorship and/ or health seminars with an emphasis on adaptive coping strategies in a stressful professional role, increased enforcement of policies, and further investigation of perceived social isolation from university peers and its effects on their alcohol consumption behaviors.